Daily Devotional

Today I talked to a surgeon about my knee (12/26/25). It was not long ago that I almost despaired about becoming permanently handicapped, for the rest of my life, and in pain all the time! I could not walk two blocks and pray. I could not do my yard work. I paid a lady at a nail place near our house $20 to cut my toe nails! I could not reach my left foot! I had difficulty getting in and out of the car. I could not use stairs. And on it went!

So I began to pray a prayer, calling out to the Lord, in a new way, more desperately, looking for help I knew only He could provide.

"But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation.
My God will hear me."
– Micah 7:7 (NASB)

I prayed and watched expectantly!
I waited for the God of my salvation!
I knew my God would hear me!

But I seemed to get no better. Sometimes it felt worse. In compensation, I began stressing my left shoulder, right hip, right knee and even my back! I was doing physical therapy. But even some of those I could not do. I could not even shop without pain at Walmart! And still I waited.

Finally, I made another appointment with the doctor. I asked for a cortisone shot, and received one, there, by him. I had heard stories, but it was virtually painless. I asked for a meeting with a surgeon, and got one arranged, for 2 weeks later (referred to above).

I was told it would take 4-7 days to feel much effect from the cortisone shot, to know if it would work. Meanwhile I struggled, and fought discouragement. I waited. Then I took up another prayer. What a prayer it became, and continues to be! So I share with you.

"To You I lift up my eyes,
O You who are enthroned in the heavens!
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He is gracious to us.
Be gracious to us, O Lord, be gracious to us."
– Psalm 123:1-3a (NASB)

How I was moved by this text, these verses and these word pictures! It was so personal!
To You . . . I lift up my eyes! O You! Then I prayed, O You! I cried out, and almost moaned. I could feel Him, “see” Him in the Spirit. O You who are enthroned in the heavens! With an exclamation point! Who in the world could be enthroned up there? No one, but the Lord alone!! Maker of heaven and earth! Overseer of all. The Lord of Hosts! Christ our Savior, risen from the dead! My hope began to build. I prayed it over and over, for days. I memorized it for the nights.

I realized like never before He was my only hope!! That He IS my hope!! As a dependent servant or a submitted maid, I lifted my eyes to Him. Over and over. And I called out, Until He is gracious to us! Until He is gracious to me! A kind of revelation filled me: This was and is always my only hope! Until He is gracious to us, to me!! Sometimes I poured it out alone in the car, at times nearly crying out loud! It became way more than about my knee!

Be gracious to us, O Lord, be gracious to us!
Be gracious to me, O Lord, be gracious to me! To Lynn, who suffers much the same.

The names of many others who needed help flowed in those days, many much more desperate than me.

Be gracious to Bill, our neighbor! To Matt, an in-law of my daughter.
Be gracious, O Lord, to so many in the church.

More names came. Ultimately it became so clear – we have only one hope about everything:

Be gracious to us. O Lord! So we wait.
Until His is gracious to us! O You who are enthroned in the heavens!

It is a lifestyle of constant need before God, permanent and flowing humility. It is the posture of the believer.

God, be merciful (propitious, benevolent) to me, the sinner! (Luke 18:14)
To You, I lift up my eyes, O You who are enthroned in the heavens!
Until He is gracious to us!



Read: Psalm 123:1-3, Micah 7:1-7, Luke 18: 9-14
Sing: Have Mercy, by Sandra McCracken.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
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